Hood Canal Bridge closures
SHINE — Drivers will be held up for Hood Canal Bridge drawspan openings more often than usual for two weeks beginning Monday.
Multiple openings of the drawspan are planned between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. each weekday through Friday, Oct. 3, during annual inspections of bridge components, the state Department of Transportation said Friday.
Night drawspan openings on the bridge on state Highway 104 also are scheduled for inspections between 10 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, and 5 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 2.
Drawspan openings close the bridge to vehicular traffic.
Numerous daily drawspan openings could be needed for crews to inspect various bridge components, Transportation said, adding that most are expected to be for short periods of time.
Real-time traffic information is available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic or by dialing 5-1-1.
Event postponed
PORT TOWNSEND— A fundraiser for the Chimacum Band scheduled for today has been postponed.
Chimacum School Principal Whitney Meissner said Saturday that a block party on the beach near the Pourhouse set for this afternoon will be rescheduled.
The preferred date is Oct. 25, but nothing has been confirmed, she said.
The high school band, the only one in the state that will march in a parade in Hawaii on Pearl Harbor Day, has raised nearly half the funds it needs for the trip.
The band is due to march in the Dec. 7 parade to commemorate the 43rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, which prompted U.S. entry into World War II.
Each student needs to raise $1,400.
For more information, email karenlpbrennan@yahoo.com.
Direct contributions can be sent to the Chimacum Band Boosters Association, P.O. Box 631, Chimacum, WA 98325.
Those who bring contributions to the school at 91 West Valley Road can get receipts for tax purposes, Meissner said.
Flight operations
COUPEVILLE — There will be no field carrier landing practice operations for aircraft stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island at the outlying field in Coupeville between today and Saturday.
Comments, including noise complaints, can be directed to station’s comment line at 360-257-6665 or via email at comments.NASWI@navy.mil.
Community dinner
SEQUIM — A free community dinner will be served at Trinity United Methodist Church, 100 S. Blake Ave., at 6 p.m. Thursday.
The meal includes meatballs, potatoes and gravy, vegetables, green salad, desserts and beverages.
Reservations, which are requested to ensure that enough food is prepared, can be made by phoning the church at 360-683-5367 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. the Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday before the dinner, or by email to dinners@sequimtumc.org.
The church presents the dinners the last Thursday of each month.
OMC jewelry sale
PORT ANGELES — OMC Auxiliary will present its second annual new and gently used jewelry and accessory sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday.
The sale is at Olympic Medical Center, 939 Caroline St., in the private dining room located in the Season’s Cafe.
Funds raised will go to the auxiliary.
For more information, contact Kathy Coombes at 360-565-9110 or kcoombes@olympicmedical.org.
Food preservation
CLALLAM BAY — The Clallam Bay Library, 16990 state Highway 112, will host a food preservation workshop at 1 p.m. Monday.
Master food preserver Sudie Parker will discuss U.S. Department of Agriculture food preservation guidelines and various preserving methods, including hot water baths and pressure canning basics, pickles and smoking and canning meats and fish.
Parker has taught food preservation for more than 15 years as a 4-H leader and master food preserver from the Washington State University Extension Program.
This workshop is free and open to the public; pre-registration is not required.
For more information, phone 360-963-2414, email ClallamBay@nols.org or visit www.nols.org.
Freethinkers meet
SEQUIM — The Juan De Fuca Freethinkers will meet at the Paradise Restaurant, 703 N. Sequim Ave., at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The group will gather in the large meeting room at the back of the restaurant.
They will discuss the autumnal equinox.
Meetings are open to the public.
Attendees should RSVP by Tuesday to gowing@olympus.net, 360-683-5648 or 360-670-9078.
Senior nutrition
PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles Senior Nutrition Site dinners will be served at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday at the Port Angeles Senior Center, 328 E. Seventh St.
A suggested donation is $5 for those who are 60 or older.
People younger than 60 can attend for $8.
Reservations should be made 24 hours in advance to 360-457-8921.
Menus are subject to change.
■ Tuesday: Tossed salad, lasagna, steamed spinach, garlic bread and mixed berries.
■ Wednesday: Applesauce, stuffed pork chop, roasted reds, asparagus and banana pudding.
■ Thursday: Hot turkey sandwich, whipped potatoes, gravy, mixed veggies and fruit cup.
■ Friday: Cream of vegetable soup, Shrimp Louie, grapes and strawberry shortcake.
Series to resume
SEQUIM — The Sequim-Dungeness Hospital Guild will resume its speaker series and hospital guild meeting in the community hall of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 525 N. Fifth Ave., at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
The speaker series and guild meeting are open to the public.
The guest speaker is first on the program, followed by a short recess before the guild business meeting.
This month’s speaker will be Fire Chief Steve Vogel, who will speak on the 100th anniversary of Fire District No. 3.
Coffee and light refreshments will be served.
Drum circle on Tuesday
PORT ANGELES — The Peninsula Community Drum Circle will be held at the Peninsula College Longhouse, 502 E. Lauridsen Blvd., from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
The event is free and open to the public.
Experienced or beginning drummers are welcome. Bring a drum, rattles or other percussion.
Drum circles are held the fourth Tuesday of each month.
For more information, phone Penny Burdick at 360-461-4538, email peninsuladrumming@gmail.com or visit http://tinyurl.com/pdn-pendrumcircle.
PT author to read
PORT HADLOCK — The Jefferson County Library, 620 Cedar Ave., will host local author Adrianne Harun as she presents a reading from her novel A Man Came Out of the Door in the Mountain.
The free reading starts at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
A longtime resident of Port Townsend, Harun has also worked as an editor, with projects ranging from literary fiction to computer language textbooks and topics in alternative medicine.
She is a member of the core faculty of the Rainier Writing Workshops, an MFA program at Pacific Lutheran University, as well as a faculty member at the Sewanee School of Letters at the University of the South.
For more information, visit www.jclibrary.info or phone 360-385-6544.
Derby open skate
PORT ANGELES — The Port Scandalous roller derby team welcomes skaters of all levels to its Wednesday night open skate at the Olympic Peninsula YMCA, 302 S. Francis St.
Anyone age 16 and older interested in trying out for the roller derby or getting back into the sport is welcome to join practices from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. every Wednesday.
Port Scandalous will teach attendees how to get started in roller derby, from the basics to advance skills.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own gear, as Port Scandalous’ inventory is low.
For more information, email portscandalousrollerderby@gmail.com, visit www.portscandalous.com or find the group on Facebook.
Compost discussion
PORT TOWNSEND — A screening of “Sludge Diet” will be shown at the Port Townsend Senior Center, 620 Tyler St., from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday.
The film follows the flow of sewage through its making of waste solids as compost and the impacts to health and the environment.
A discussion will follow.
The event is free and open to the public, though donations are welcome.
For more information, contact Darlene Schanfald at 360-681-7565 or darlenes@olympus.net.
Roller derby meet
PORT ANGELES — The Port Scandalous roller derby team will hold an open meet-and-greet at Bella Rosa Coffee House, 403 S. Lincoln St., at 7 p.m. Friday.
Skaters will share stories and explain how to join the roller derby world.
Port Scandalous is always looking for new skaters and referees. Attendees can stop by for coffee and find out more about the team.
For more information, email portscandalousrollerderby@gmail.com or find the team on Facebook.
Fourth Friday read
SEQUIM — A Fourth Friday Reading is slated at Rainshadow Coffee Roasting Co., 157 W. Cedar St., from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday.
The free event features Writers on the Spit, the founders of the event. The group includes Gene Bradbury, Howard Chadwick, Judy Duncan, Jim Fisher, Mary Jill Klay, George Lindamood, Ruth Marcus, Terry Moore, Beth Pratt and Carlyn Syvanen.
These writers meet once a month to support each other’s interest in writing. Most are published poets and authors with work ranging from poetry chapbooks and anthologies to children’s illustrated books, novels, short story collections and anthologies.
The open-mic venue offers any writer a chance to share a five-minute original writing. Guidelines are available via Ruth Marcus (Rmarcus@olypen.com).
For more information, phone Marcus at 360-681-2205.
Cohousing for 55 and older topic of talk
PORT TOWNSEND — An illustrated presentation about cohousing for adults 55 and older is slated at Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2333 San Juan Ave., at 7 p.m. Friday.
Author and architect Charles Durrett, an authority on cohousing in the U.S., and his partner and fellow architect, Kathryn McCamant, are the featured speakers.
The event is free and open to the public.
Durrett has pioneered cohousing in the U.S., bringing it here from Denmark in the 1980s, according to the Quimper fellowship.
Cohousing communities for adults 55 and older offer residents the opportunity to live independently in their own homes as they age with a close-knit and mutually supportive group of neighbors.
Durrett and McCamant also will conduct a workshop Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 28, for a group of individuals who hope to build Quimper Village, a green and sustainable cohousing community for older adults in Port Townsend.
For more information about this project, visit www.quimpervillage.com.
Bunco party set
SEQUIM — St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 525 N. Fifth Ave., will host a bunco party from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday.
The cost is a $12 donation.
There will be a buffet luncheon with dessert, plus silent auction items and door prizes.
All proceeds will go toward uncompensated care at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
For more information, phone Cinda O’Dell at 360-797-7105, email snowrider391@embarqmail.com or visit www.sequimguild.org.
Eating well intro
PORT TOWNSEND — “Eat Well, Be Well Challenge: An Introduction,” on the basics of an anti-inflammatory diet, will be held at Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2333 San Juan Ave., from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
The free class is intended to be useful in preventing and treating heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, abdominal fatness, joint pain, some cancers and other chronic diseases.
To enroll, visit www.tinyurl.com/ALPs2014Fall.
For more information, contact Elizabeth Walker at 859-513-1286 or elizabeth.walker317@gmail.com.
Vegetarian potluck
PORT ANGELES — The OlyPen Vegetarian Education Group will host its monthly vegetarian community potluck at the Renaissance, 401 E. Front St., at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28.
Vegetarians, vegans or anyone curious about living a plant-based lifestyle are encouraged to come.
The group requests that each dish include an ingredient list or recipe to share.
Bring personal serving utensils, eating utensils and plates.
RSVPs are appreciated.
A Sequim ride-share is available.
Potlucks are held the last Sunday of every month.
For more information, phone 360-912-1303 or email olypenveg@gmail.com.
Landscaping course
SEQUIM — The Clallam Conservation District is offering a course on natural landscaping beginning Thursday, Oct. 2.
The course includes three evening classes and three Saturday field trips.
Evening classes are Oct. 2, 9 and 16 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Dungeness River Audubon Center, 2151 W. Hendrickson Road.
Field trips are Oct. 4, 11 and 18.
Utilizing permaculture design principles, course participants will receive step-by-step instruction on how to develop landscape designs suited to the unique ecological conditions of their properties.
The course focus is a naturalistic landscape style, with special emphasis on water conservation, stormwater management, wildlife habitat enhancement and low maintenance.
District Executive Director Joe Holtrop is the course instructor.
Holtrop has undergraduate and graduate degrees in landscape architecture and has been teaching classes on natural landscaping since 1990.
The registration deadline is Tuesday, Sept. 30.
A $25 registration fee covers the cost of materials and facilities rental.
To register, phone the district at 360-775-3747, ext. 5.
Firefighter Harvest
PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles Fire Department Auxiliary and District No. 2 volunteer firefighters will host a Firefighter Harvest in the Vern Burton Community Center gym, 308 E. Fourth St., from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4.
The fundraising event will include a barbecue dinner, a silent auction, beer and wine, and dancing to the music of Fat Chance.
The harvest is for ages 18 and older.
Tickets will be sold for $15 per person at Spa Shop & Pellet Heat, 230-C E. First St.; the Port Angeles Fire Station, 102 E. Fifth St.; and at the door.
Proceeds will help with fire relief baskets and scholarships, and will assist in the purchase of fire rescue equipment.
For more information, phone 360-460-1313 or 360-460-8444.
PT Rotary gives checks
PORT TOWNSEND — The Sunrise Rotary Club of Port Townsend recently presented a check for $928 to the Rhody Festival, earned from the Running of the Balls held just prior to the Rhody Parade last May.
Rotary President Jeffrey Hartman and Rotary District Gov. Michael Procter presented the check for the Rhody Foundation to Christie and Paul Hensley.
The club also presented a $1,000 check to Rotary International toward efforts to eliminate polio.
Sunrise Rotary is a service club of men and women who believe in “service beyond self” and to that end donate funds, time, goods and help to causes within the community and internationally.
They meet each Wednesday morning at 7:15 at the Highway 20 Road House in Port Townsend.
Merit semifinalist
PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles High School senior Leah Marsh has been named a semifinalist in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Marsh is among 16,000 semifinalists nationwide who will compete for approximately 7,600 National Merit Scholarships next spring.
According to a Sept. 10 news release by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation: “To become a finalist, the semifinalist and his or her high school must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment and honors and awards received.”
From the 16,000 semifinalists, 15,000 are expected to advance in February to the finalist level.
Scholarship winners will be selected from the finalist group beginning in April.
Marsh is the daughter of Deborah Bopp and Greg Marsh.
For more information on the National Merit Scholarship Program, visit www.nationalmerit.org.
Rotary Club recognizes Sequim pupil
SEQUIM — The Sequim Noon Rotary recently presented the club’s Student of the Month award to Cecilee Wech.
Wech is the daughter of Matt and FaLeana Wech and is a senior at Sequim High School, where she holds the office of Associated Student Body executive president and is active in Future Business Leaders of America and the Be the Change Club.
In high school, Wech has earned a cumulative grade-point average of 3.3 and is enrolled in advanced placement classes in physics, government, language and economics.
Her favorite subject is economics, and she plans to pursue a college degree in business administration after graduation.
At school, Wech also participates in golf, volleyball and weight training.
After school, she works at Starbucks in Sequim.
Upon presentation of the club’s Student of the Month award, District Gov. Michael Procter and club President Christine Paulsen expressed the Rotary Club’s appreciation of Wech as one of the outstanding students at Sequim High.
